Guitar Finish Woes

[JammerMatt]

I'm having a guitar finish dilemma. First some background. My axes hang on the wall. They get incidental exposure to sunlight... not direct light. Our environment is not particulary dry, but we do run the heater alot this time of year what with two babies in the house. I have one of those deflectors on the heat register (forced air) that keeps direct heat off the axes.

Here's the dilemma. I'm noticing something in the finishes that I don't like. The LP used to be glassy smooth, but now if I turn it toward the light and look at the finish, it's like I can sort of see the grains of the wood in the gloss coat... sort of in relief. My Jackson Dinky has it bad, like little dimples in a golf ball. The USA Jackson is showing it very slightly. The Dinky is 8 years old, the LP is 4 years old and the USA is about 2 years old.

It almost seems like these things are drying out and the finish is soaking into the wood. I've never heard of such a thing. I'm thinking about taking them down and keeping them in their cases just in case... but they're so dang cool on the wall. I baby these things like they're children, so it's not from lack of care.

Anyone know what the heck's going on?

 

[hellrider77]

Re: Guitar Finish Woes

i keep mine in cases, heaters can be hell on axes man
______________________________________________

beer and strippers are proof that god wants us to be happy

 

[Fresh_Start]

Re: Guitar Finish Woes

Sunlight plus forced hot air heat!!! (Even indirect sun can affect nice wood finishes.)

Please, put up some shades and get a humidifier. Or keep 'em in cases.

About the dimples on the Dinky, are they everywhere on the finish or only on places where your (sweaty) arm touches the guitar? Do you wipe the guitars off after you play?

Hope this helps,

Chip

 

[bryvincent]

Re: Guitar Finish Woes

on the LP, i think it is normal and and some say desirable if you can see the grains of the wood if you turn it towards the light. it means that the finish(nitro) is very thin and lets the guitar resonate more. check out this article from the LP forum by dan erlewine: http://lespaulforum.com/dan2/danstuff.html

 

[JammerMatt]

Re: Guitar Finish Woes

Sunlight plus forced hot air heat!!! (Even indirect sun can affect nice wood finishes.)

Please, put up some shades and get a humidifier. Or keep 'em in cases.

About the dimples on the Dinky, are they everywhere on the finish or only on places where your (sweaty) arm touches the guitar? Do you wipe the guitars off after you play?

Hope this helps,

Chip

The dimples in the Dinky are all over the place. It's way too late for that one, but it's my "beater" so no big deal. BTW, I am a fastidious wiper/polisher.

The axes are now put away in cases where they will stay for good. The Soloist finish is just too cool for that "vintage woodgrain look."

 

[JammerMatt]

Re: Guitar Finish Woes

on the LP, i think it is normal and and some say desirable if you can see the grains of the wood if you turn it towards the light. it means that the finish(nitro) is very thin and lets the guitar resonate more. check out this article from the LP forum by dan erlewine: http://lespaulforum.com/dan2/danstuff.html

Thanks for looking that up. That is exactly what's going on. Well, desirable or not, I think it looks like poo. I suppose there's probably not much to do about the nitro finish. But, it goes back in the case, anyway.

Thanks guys.

 

[Zerberus]

Re: Guitar Finish Woes

Sunlight plus forced hot air heat!!! (Even indirect sun can affect nice wood finishes.)

Please, put up some shades and get a humidifier. Or keep 'em in cases.

About the dimples on the Dinky, are they everywhere on the finish or only on places where your (sweaty) arm touches the guitar? Do you wipe the guitars off after you play?

Hope this helps,

Chip

Unfortunately, this is almost certainly the cause, and there´s not much you can do about it, ´cept keeping them in cases for the most part

 

[pac112]

Re: Guitar Finish Woes

get a humidifier for your place.. it'll do the babies (i mean the children,not the axes) and the guitars good.

 

[JammerMatt]

Re: Guitar Finish Woes

Do you think that the conditions might progress, or should keeping them in cases stop the madness?

This is bringing me down today. It's a sad thing that a hunk of wood can depress one so, especially considering it's just a dang guitar, and in the grand scheme of things means very little. But, there you go.

 

[Zerberus]

Re: Guitar Finish Woes

Cases and a decent humidifier should essentially stop it for all effects and purposes

 

[JammerMatt]

Re: Guitar Finish Woes

Do you keep the humidifer in the case?

 

[kmcguitars]

Re: Guitar Finish Woes

The dimples in the Dinky are all over the place. It's way too late for that one, but it's my "beater" so no big deal. BTW, I am a fastidious wiper/polisher.

The axes are now put away in cases where they will stay for good. The Soloist finish is just too cool for that "vintage woodgrain look."

The dimples in your dinky is probaly just the orange peel effect you get
with most Poly Finishs. it was probaly always there But now it's becomeing
more pronouced with age? The LP is finished with Nitrocelluose Lacquer.
nitro continues to cure with age and maybe srink a lil' ? combind that with
the wood expanding and contracting you get a checking effect( My 67'
melodymaker has checked all over) just like you would with a car Keep
your guitars polished and minamal exposuere to the elements and the
finish will last a bit longer.

 

[Zerberus]

Re: Guitar Finish Woes

Do you keep the humidifer in the case?

Yes. ALthough I personally only use them on acoustics., electrics generally don´t really need one as long as they´re properly cared for (lemon oil and polish)

 

[MattPete]

Re: Guitar Finish Woes

Do you keep the humidifer in the case?

Nah, something to humidify the room. Go down to Target and pick up a Holmes humdifier (not the ultrasonic crap, get one that uses a wick). It's set you pack $25-$50.

Something like this:

http://www.holmesproducts.com/eStore/product.aspx?CatalogId=3&CategoryId=1120&ProductId=9344